I like gadgets. I always have. Watches, computers, head lamps, GPS devices and digital this and that have always intrigued me. I have been known to spend hours surfing the internet reading up on the latest piece of gear that has caught my attention. From user reviews to manufacturer descriptions, I try and soak up everything I can about that next ultra high-tech toy.

And like everything else in the world, gadgets have progressed over time. GPS devices are smaller, more accurate, and have more features. Head lamps and bike lights are brighter, burn longer, and cost less. Computers just keep getting more powerful, faster, and cheaper. While the internet and the networks that support it are also keeping up the pace.

The result is an ultra connected society. Where everyone is everywhere.

The gadget evolution is playing a major role on an unexpected stage. Unsupported mountain bike racing. As the sport of endurance mountain biking has grown, so have the demands that people have placed on their gear and their bodies. People are riding longer, further, and into more and more remote areas of the wilderness than ever before. And while back country exploration is nothing new, the gear available now is bringing an entirely new level of possibilities.

People at home can now get real time information as to the location, speed and pace about everyone riding in a remote underground event. We can see what the weather is like, find out how close the nearest competitors are, see who is off route, who is leading, trailing, gaining, and fading. Observers know more about the race than the participants. And somehow an unsupported mountain bike race has eclipsed the major tours of professional cycling in the scope and speed of news and coverage.

It is a terrible and wonderful thing.

As you may know, the underground race movement is deeply grounded in self-policing its events. The rules are supposed to be simple. 'Carry what you need or do without'. However in recent years, as more people have participated in these events a need has arisen to define what is acceptable when it comes to being able to communicate with the outside world. The ethics behind tracking devices, cell phones and telephone call-ins have and are being debated across the internet.

I own a SPOT Satellite Tracker It is a nifty little device. Is it perfect? No. But it is a step in a very intriguing direction. The SPOT lets me send text messages to email addresses and phone numbers. The messages are pre-programmed. I can send an 'OK' message that might say something like 'Just checking in to say all is well'. I can also send a non-emergency 'Help' message. Something like 'I am DNFing the race. I am unhurt, but need a ride'. And of course, I can send a 911 message which can also be pre-programmed. All three types of messages include GPS coordinates so the recipient can see my exact location. This is all in addition to the device being able to track my progress in real time, pinging a map every 10 minutes with my exact whereabouts.

And while this is cool, there are some blaring weaknesses.

The first is that the SPOT provides no confirmation to the user that any message is getting out. It would be brilliant if I sent off a help message, and was able to receive a confirmation from the satellite that it has been relayed. But that is not the case - yet.

The other limitation is that I am unable to receive messages. This would improve the functionality of the tracker tenfold if someone at home could send me a message. I don't know if it will be SPOT that takes this technology to the next step, but it seems to me to be a natural evolution.

In other words, a satellite powered text messenger.

The possibilities are explosive. Racers in the Great Divide Race could text each other back and forth. Mom and Dad and significant others could check in on riders, not only getting updates on their location, but details about their mental and physical state, their attitudes and emotions, and all in real time. I can just imagine the firestorm on MTBR this would cause.

But it is the next step in GPS tracking technology.

Eventually we will all be carrying pocket sized satellite phones that will allow us to call or email anyone in the world, from anywhere in the world. The issues of coverage will be moot. There will no place that is not reachable by phone.

In the wake of the terrible tragedy this week on K2 I have to wonder how many lives could be have been saved if communication could have been faster. Maybe none. Maybe several. Even the SPOT in its current form may have helped rescuers find and locate the trapped climbers faster.

There are some who claim that a tracking device, or a GPS, or even a paper map is a crutch and should not be relied on in a competitive environment. I can see the merits of such a view. But I also realize that all the gadgetry in the world will not replace pedal strokes. It will not replace sound planning and good execution. It won't create fitness, and it won't prevent catastrophic failures. However, in the event of an emergency, it just might save a life.

And as soon as that happens all the arguing about the ethics behind such a device melt into irrelevance.

Labels: gadgets, SPOT, underground races

Not too long ago I told my dad about the SPOT locator. He loves gadgets even more than I do, and so I thought he'd really like the SPOT. My mom was listening, and as soon as she found out what the SPOT was capable of, she insisted I allow her to buy me one.

"But mom, I don't think I really need one."

"That doesn't matter. You are getting one, and you are carrying it with you on every ride."

"Well let me research them a little more."

"Fine. But I am getting you one."

And so she did. I have had it for a few weeks, and I really like it. It adds a little security, but also makes it pretty fun for people at home to check the website and see my progress. As I have talked to other people with a SPOT it became clear that the driving force behind the little devices are our parents. Jill wrote today in fact that;

"Geoff's mom bought him the SPOT receiver and threatened him with future panic if he didn't carry it along the Continental Divide. Now, all he has to do is push a button and his exact latitude and longitude point is broadcast on his very own tracking site."

I know from talking to Chris and Essam that their parents were also very interested in their children having this handy tracking device. I guess parent's will never stop worrying, no matter how grown up we get. The idea of us traipsing all over the mountains, without support, and often times alone must be nerve racking at best.

My parents happened to be at a meeting in Park City the day of the '07 E12. That was the day I ended up in the local clinic with an IV stuck in my arm. I think my mom tried to talk me into a different hobby, something that did not involve pushing the limits of mind and body. Something to do with board games.

The SPOT leaderboard for this year's Tour Divide ought to add a lot of excitement to the race. The ability to see in real time where each rider is and how fast they are progressing will bring the race to life I think. Add in the audio check-ins and we at home will be treated to an unprecedented level of coverage.

And while that will bring entertainment to us, and comfort to loved ones at home, I have to wonder... does it tarnish the remote solitude of that route? Maybe. But then, maybe not.

Labels: great divide race, SPOT